Mounting mechanism for bulldozer blades and similar implements



Aug. 21, 1951 F. w. ALLAN 2,565,337

MOUNTING MECHANISM FOR BULLDOZER BLADES AND SIMILAR IMPLEMENTS Filed March 18, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR. fiearebmzr/ Aug. 21, 1951 1 F. w. ALLAN 2,565,337 MOUNTING MECHANISM FOR BULLDOZER BLADES AND SIMILAR IMPLEMENTS Filed March 18, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvrox. fiea erzbewilam Aug. 21, 1951 Filed March 18, 1948 4 Sheets-Shegt 5 7 1 r1 121 1 TH E I8? /,\1Z9 3 I flwrzdmv E i, .9 3, 1 BY l H 177 JJM- fl I m I1 1 i n J i H" a w flaw/w Aug. 21, 1951 F. w. ALLAN MOUNTING MECHANISM FOR BULLDOZER BLADES AND SIMILAR IMPLEMENTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 18, 1948 1 MMH WQH an \mww AMH; a. A 4 WWW! H Patented Aug. 21, 1951 MOUNTING MECHANISM FOR BULLDOZER BLADES AND SIMILAR IMPLEMENTS Frederick W. Allan, Batavia, N. Y.

Application March 18, 1948, Serial No. 15,638

1 Claim. 1 The present invention relates to work vehicles and more particularly to bulldozing and like equipment therefor, and it has for its general object to provide a relatively light but strong and simply and conveniently controlled pushing gear for blades and other ground working implements.

Another object is the provision of pushing gear so designed that it may be readily attached to existing tractors Or similar vehicles, and which may be detached therefrom to reconvert the vehicle to other duties such as hauling and dragging.

A further object is the provision of mounting mechanism by which the pushing implement is so simply and widely adjustable in multiple planes and angularities that all probable conditions of surface to be worked upon can be met and dispositions of materials thereon can be effectively handled.

These and other desirable objects are accomplished by the construction disclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the following description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a power tractor unit constructed, arranged, and equipped in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan View of the forward portion thereof;

, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan View of the pushing or grading blade featured in Fig. 2 but in another position of angular adjustment in a horizontal plane, the angle being laterally transverse to thedirection of movement of the vehicle;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the blade in vertical cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 2 together with its immediate support which appears in side elevation;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 viewing the blade from the rear.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the mounting frame for the blade;

Fig. '7 is a top plan view similar to Fig. 3 but with the angle of the blade reversed to urge dislodged surface work material to the right instead of the left of the vehicle;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of the forward portion of the tractor blade and. blade support on the scale of and corresponding substantially to the showing of Fig. 2, the blade being shown in work to illustrate one improved adjusting means therefor constituting a feature of the present invention;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail side elevation of a supporting link useful in obtaining a certain floating motion of the blade;

Fig. 10 is a corresponding front elevation of this link of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged top plan View of a modified form of blade and its immediate supporting connection illustrating another form of lateral adjusting means as well as novel arrangements for tilting the blade vertically with reference to a horizontal ground line constituting another feature of this invention;

Fig. 12 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line l2-l2 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line l3-I3 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 is a reduced front view of the supporting plate for the mounting plate of the blade mechanism of Fig. 11;

Fig. 15 is a view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 11, partly in rear elevation and partly in vertical section substantially on the line l5|5 of Fig. 11;

Fig. I 16 is a vertical sectional view of the mounting plate of Fig. 11 taken in the same plane as that of Fig. 15 but the portion in elevation being viewed from the front;

Fig. 17 is a similar view with the mounting plate differently adjusted to tilt the blade; and

Fig. 18 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an alternative form of hydraulic lift mechanism for the parallelogram links on which the bulldozer blade or other implement is mounted.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending patent application, Serial No. 662,301, filed April 15, 1946, to which reference is made for a more detailed description of some of the features disclosed in the present application.

Certain subject matter disclosed but not claimed in this present application is claimed in said copending application.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a road vehicle in the form of the familiar wheel type tractor, the chassis of which comprises a frame I l, rear driving wheels [3, front steering Wheels I5, and steering gear ll. The motive power unit is indicated generally at H), representing the casing of an enclosed engine.

Rigidly secured to the front end of the tractor, as for example by means of gusset plates 3| and 33 riveted or bolted to the front ends of the main frame members II, are a pair of vertical posts 35, conveniently in the form of channel members or angle bars, laterally spaced from each other on opposite sides of the center line of the vehicle. At the top and bottom of each post 35 are pivots 3'! and 39, respectively, to which are pivoted the rear ends of upper and lower arms 4! and 43,

respectively, made of angle bars or channel sec-- tions. The forward ends of these arms are pivoted at 45 and 41 to a mounting frame shown in top and bottom cross bars 5|. On these cross bars are mounted the bulldozer blade 53 of Figs. 1 to 4 and '7 to \8 which is substantially vertically disposed and extends transversely of the chassis and its path of travel or other suitable pushable ground or surface working implement. 7

As seen in Fig. 1, the upper parallel arms 4| are each suspended by and from-one of a pair of identical links 55, the lower heads 51 of which are pivoted to the respective forward portions of these arms ll at 59. The links are of the turnbuckle type, as shown, to be lengthened or shortened for finer adjustments, and the upper heads 6| thereof are respectively pivoted at 53 to the forward arms of a pair of bellcrank levers 65 on a common transverse shaft 61 journaled in the gusset plates 3|. Downwardly extending arms 59 on the shaft 51 are pivoted at II to the respective piston rods 53 of a pair of hydraulic cylinders it, one at each side of the chassis, the rear end of each cylinder being pivoted at I6 to a chassis bracket. A pressure unit indicated only generally at I? served by a power take-off from the vehicle engine and controlled through a draw rod 19 connected to a hand lever 8| adjacent to the steering control exerts differential pressure on opposite faces of the pistons of rods I3 or maintains themin balance in identical manher, all as fully explained in said copending patent application. As a consequence, operation of the hydraulic cylinders I5 produces up and down motions of the arms 4| in the parallelogram of motion shared by the lower arms 43 and the mounting frame 495I, and raises and lowers the blade 53 into and out of the dirt or other material or work to be operated upon, though maintaining its erect position.

It is sometimes desirable to allow the bulldozer blade or other implement to float or make minor upward and downward movements of its i own accord, without operating the hydraulic cylinders 15. This is useful, for instance, when the bulldozer blade 53 is utilized to remove snow, surface sand, or light debris from a paved or hard surface, and in grading. As a feature of this invention, there is provision for allowing the blade and its immediate connections to ride easily and slightly yieldable over the work surface so that, with limitations, it may hold thereto merely by gravitational force. To this end, in the present embodiment, the head 6| of each link 55 is broadened and provided, adjacent to its pivot opening 53, with an elongated bearing or slot 83 as best shown in Fig. 9, to which slot the pivot pin may be transferred for this self -adjustment or floating action of the blade, as seen in Fig. 8. As a result, a lost motion connection is established between the links 4| and their bellcrank arms 65 so that the blade or implement may have, to an extent limited by the length of the slot 83, the floating action above described, but still may be positively lowered or positively raised by operating the hydraulic cylinders to an appropriate extent. When no floating action is desired, the pivot pin is, of course, placed in the hole 63 instead of the slot 83.

Another of the important features of this invention is the manner in which the ground working implement 53 is mounted for angular adjustment on its mounting frame 49-5|. Referring still to Figs. 1 to 8, the upper and lower cross pieces 5| of the frame are both provided with series of equidistant alined round holes constituting sockets and 81 at the right ends of 1 the pieces 5 I, and 89 and 9| at the left ends thereof. The rear face of the blade or implement 53 is provided with upper and lower flanges 93 and 95 reinforced by webs 91. The respective flanges are pierced at 99 and MI to provide corresponding sockets so spaced as to be alined selectively with pairs of alined sockets in the series 358'| on the one hand and 899| on the other, with the lower flanges 95 resting on the lower cross piece 5% of the frame and the upper flanges 93 snugly below the upper cross piece 5|, as appears in Figs. 4 and 5. When so assembled, coupling pins m3 and I95 are dropped into the alined sockets and the blade or implement 53 is directly and rigidly attached to the mounting frame it-5| for direct flatwise pushing as clearly shown in Fig. 2. It may be readily detached and a suitably fitted implement of another kind substituted when desired.

At times and for special work, it is more effective and desirable to impart different degrees of still horizontal angularity to the bulldozer blade 53 or substitute implement so that the working face thereof, as in Fig. 3, while still upright, will cause loose surface material to be dislodged by its scraping edge and to be urged laterally of the road or direction of travel. This is particularly convenient when backfilling a trench.

To effect this change of function, two links I51 and M39 (Figs. 3, 4,5, and '7) are pivotallymounted between the flanges 93 and 95 on coupling pins ill at opposite sides of the blade center to fold inoperatively toward each other and against the rear of the blade during the above described non-angular direct mounting of the blade in Figs. 1 and 2. The links have elongated hub bearings M3 to end thrust against the flanges 93 and 95 and receive the pins At their other ends, similar socket hubs I I5 are provided. These may be swung rearwardly between the cross pieces 5| of the mounting frame to respectively aline with any selected pairs of the socket openings 85-8'i or 899| and receive the coupling pins Hi3 and :95 locking them to the mounting frame. Either link, when not swung rearwardly for this purpose, lies forwardly of the pins I53 or I05 and is held thereby substantially in contact with the rear face of the plate 53, as seen in Figs. 2 and 5.

Thus, in Fig. 3 link [91 remains folded with coupling pin I03 directly connecting the blade 53 near its left end to the mounting frame 5|, as before, but the right end of the ground blade has been advanced forwardly after disengaging coupling pin 505 and the latter has been reinserted in the same socket 85'8'| of the mounting frame and the end hub socket l5 of link I99. The latter thereby becomes a rigid brace at the rear maintaining the blade at the desired angle as shown in the said figure and the worked material is deflected to the left of the vehicle as it advances.

Reverse manipulations of the brace links reverse the angle of the blade as shown in Fig. '7 and the worked ground material is urged to the right of the vehicle. Of course all or any of the series of sockets in the mounting frame are used in this way to vary the angles of Figs. 3 and 7 and with great facility entailing merely the withdrawal of the coupling pins and their reinsertion in other sockets, but in any event the pushable blade is ultimately held rigidly to the mounting plate by either direct connection or by the rigid bracing of one of the back links |5'||.99.

In Figs. 11 to 17 there are shown modifications verse holes I65 in the inner rod I59.

. of the above described embodiment of theinvention and additions thereto that constitute features of novelty to be claimed herein. Re Ierring now to these figures, the ground working implement I3I here shown is curved in vertical cross-section, but could be straight like the implement 53, if desired. There is provided a mounting frame I33 having forwardly extending flanges I35 arranged in two pairs, one near the top and one near the bottom of the frame I33, as seen in Figs. 13, 15, and 16. These flanges are provided near their ends with sockets I31 for the direct attachment of the blade I3I by means of alinable sockets I39 formed in apertured bosses on the flanges MI on the rear face of the blade. The upper flange I4I on the blade I3I has apertured bosses which fit loosely between the two flanges I35 of the upper pair, and the lower flange MI has similar apertured bosses which fit loosely between the two flanges I35 of the lower pair, as seen in Figs. 13 and 15. Coupling pins I43 and I45 are inserted through the apertures or sockets I31 and I39 to mount the blade I3I in straight position on the frame I33, when such position is desired.

If it is desired to mount the blade in an angular position, this may be done by using link braces I91 and I99 of the same kind shown in Figs. 3, 5, and '1, or by using a modified form of link brace now to be described. As best shown in Figs.

11 and 15, there are two links of this modified form, both indicated generally at I41 (one in dotted lines in the former figure). Each has an outer or forward tubular section I5I provided with a hub I53 receiving coupling pins I55 thrust through pivot sockets I51 in blade flanges I4I. This tubular section receives, telescopically, an extension rod I59 terminating in a socket hub I6I adapted to be alined with any selected one of the mounting frame sockets I31 and'receive a coupling pin I 43 as in Fig. 11. The length of the brace link, in each case, may be altered by removing and replacing a bolt I63 extending transversely through the outer tubular element I5I and through any selected one of a plurality of trans- The nut I61 on each bolt may be tightened to hold the bolt against accidental dislodgement and thus to preserve the desired measure of over-all length of the brace. As before, the link braces fold, when not in use, against the rear of the ground working implement and are held in this position by the pins I43 or I45, or one of the link braces may be swung outwardly and rearwardly as in Fig. 11

to have the coupling pin I43 inserted through its hub IIiI and brace the implement in an angular position for lateral diverting action on the worked material.

The relatively long hubs at the ends of the braces I5I, I59 are rigidly held to the brace links by gusset plates I53 welded both to the hubs and to the brace links. The hubs, it will be noted from Fig. 15, are quite long, substantially the full length of the free space between the flanges (or between the bosses on the flanges) with which they cooperate, so that the hubs not only have a good bearing on the pins, but also are adequately supported from the flange I35 and serve to support the upper flange I II when the blade is in angular position.

In Figs. 11 to 15 there is also illustrated another feature of this invention having to. do with the mounting of either type of blade or either type of adjusting and bracing means or, in fact, other types of implements upon a pushing yahicle, and it provides still another angular aci= justment of such a pushable implement. That is one in which the ground edge, whether horizontally straight across the direction of travel as in Figs. 1 and 2 or angular thereto as in Figs. 3, 7, and 11, may also be tilted upwardly edgewise at an angle to the ground line to fit certain conditions of terrain or for special jobs such as crowning a roadway. To these ends, the elevating arms 4| and 43 (Figs. 13 and 14) are pivoted at I69 and Ill as before to a supporting frame much like the mounting frame of Fig. 6, having upright channel members I13 to take the pivots at top and bottom, and connecting cross pieces I15. However, its front consists of a vertically disposed face plate I11 having a central aperture and bearing I19 and an aperture I8I at each side thereof.

The mounting frame I33 of this modification (see now Figs 11, l3, l6, and 1'?) has a flat or plane rear face closely contacting with and rotatable against the front face of the supporting face plate I11, being pivoted thereto on a center bolt I passing through both and having a bearing in the central aperture I19 of the plate I11. Thus, the whole immediate supporting structure of the blade I3I previously described, includin the adjusting links I5I, I59, etc., may be tilted in the vertical plane of the face plate I11 to any angle desired. As a means of securing several of these positions of adjustment, segmental reinforcements I81 (Figs. 16 and 11) on the front face of frame plate I33 at either side of the center bolt I85 are pierced by concentric groups of bolt holes I89 that may, as to each group, be selectively alined with one of the apertures IBI (Fig. 14) of the face plate I11, and bolts I9I may be passed therethrough and tightened. In Fig. 16 the bolts are in the center holes of each group so that they make a line with the center pivot bolt I85, establishing the normal level position of the bottom edge of the blade I3I whether that is angled horizontally or not. In Fig. 17, the top hole of the left hand group and the bottom hole of the right hand one (viewed from the front) is utilized, so that the left end of the working blade (as viewed from the rear or from the vehicle drivers seat) is titled high and the working edge sloped downwardly to the right side of the road. In any case the structure forwardly of and supported from the pivots I69 and HI is solid and rigid during operation, and all of such structure may be moved as a unit upwardly or downwardly, as desired, by operating the hydraulic cylinders 15, without in any way altering or interfering with the horizontal or vertical angular adjustment or setting of the blade.

When the blade is both vertically and horizontally angled, it is particularly useful, for example, in forming a shallow V-shaped ditch or trench, the laterally-projecting lower end of the blade engaging the ground for this purpose while the tractor itself runs over the level ground to one side of the ditch being formed. With an angularly adjustable blade of this kind the mounting on the parallelogram links II, 43 is particularly advantageous, because it enables the elevation of the blade to be altered without changing either the vertical angularity or the horizontal angularity of the blade relatively to the chassis of the tractor. But if it is desired, under special circumstances, that the angularity should be changed as the blade is raised or lowered, then the parallelogram mounting linkage may be thrown out of its strictly parallelogram relationship by pivoting the front ends of the upper links 4 l, or the lower links 43, or both, in alternate holes (Figs. 1, 4, .6, 8, and 13) in place of the regular holes which produce parallelism of the links 4| and 43. The result will be that the blade will tilt slightly as it is raised or lowered, instead of rising or going down through positions always strictly parallel to each other.

For the purpose of offsetting the blade in a lateral direction (or side-shifting it, as it is sometimes called), the blade is provided with extra or alternate holes or sockets 263 (Figs, 2, 3, and 7) any one of which may be used to receive the pins I03 or 195 or both, to mount the blade in an off-center or side-shifted position, whether it be placed straight or at an angle. Similarly, in the other form of construction (Figs. 11-17) extra holes may be provided for the same sideshifting purpose, as indicated at 295 in Figs. 11 and 15.

The blade raising and lowering mechanism as thus far described is powered by a pair of hydraulic cylinders 75 mounted on opposite sides of the tractor motor. This arrangement, how ever, is not the only one which may be used within the limits of the present invention. As an example of another power unit which may be used and which, in fact, offers certain advantages over the cylinders there is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 18 an arrangement wherein the parallel (or approximately parallel) link arms 41 and 53 remain as before, but are powered by a single hydraulic cylinder mounted between the right and left pairs of links, instead of two cylinders at the sides of the tractor.

In this arrangement, a pair of gusset plates 2H firmly secured to the front of the tractor frame are mounted between the two lower links 43 and in laterally separated relation to each other. The lower end of a hydraulic cylinder 2|3 enters the space between these two gusset plates and is pivoted to them by the cross shaft 215 mounted in the gusset plates. A piston rod 2|! projects from the upper end of the cylinder 213, and is pivoted at its upper end, on a shaft or stud 219, to a pair of laterally separated vertical links 22! which are pivoted at 223 and 225 to the push links 4! and 43, respectively, intermediate their ends. Thus increasing the fluid pressure in the lower end of the cylinder 2I3, below the piston therein (not shown) will tend to push the piston rod 211 upwardly to raise the vertical links 22! and thus to raise the push links 4| and 43 of the parallelogram, lifting the bulldozer blade or other implement mounted on the forward ends of those links 4! and 43. Similarly an increase in the fluid pressure above the piston in the cylinder 213, as compared with the pressure below, will tend to pull downwardly on the links 22! and lower the forward ends of the links 4| and 43 and anything mounted on them.

Bulldozer equipment provided in accordance with this invention when fitted to a tractor or similar road vehicle can be quickly adapted to a wide variety of jobs even on difficult terrain and under other unusual working conditions as well as with a variety of materials to be worked upon. Manyof the present features are not limited to relatively light tractors as shown in Fig. 1 but are applicable also to the more ponderous types of pushing vehicles used in heavy bulldozing work.

It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that the above mentioned objects of the invention are admirably fulfilled. It is to be understood that the foregoing disclosure is given by way of illustrative example only, rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing from the invention, the details may be varied within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A work blade element mounting for motor vehicles, said mounting comprisin a cross frame extending transversely substantially straight across in front of the vehicle throughout a substantial part of the width of the vehicle and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the vehicle, said cross frame having a rear section and a front section pivotally mounted on the rear section for rotation relative thereto about a pivotal axis arranged approximately horizontally in approximately a fore-andaft direction, said front section being provided with a plurality of laterally spaced and approximately vertically extending pin sockets at each of its opposite ends, a work blade element of generally upstanding and transversely extending form located in front of said cross frame and including a plurality of rearwardly projecting portions having on each side of the center of said blade element a plurality of laterally spaced and approximately vertically extending pin sockets therein, and a strut having approximately vertically extending pin sockets at opposite ends, the various pin sockets being So arranged that a pin may be inserted through pin sockets of said blade element and of said cross frame at one end thereof to connect said blade element pivotally to one end of said cross frame, and so that one end of said strut may be pinned to said cross frame near the opposite end thereof and the opposite end of said strut may be pinned to said blade element at a point remote from the pivotal connection of the blade element to the first end of the cross frame, to maintain the blade at a horizontal angle to said cross frame.

FREDERICK W. ALLAN.

REFERENCES (JITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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